The Wall
by The Nation's Voice
Summary: Dysfunctional heroes trying to make a difference in a dysfuntional way.


The Wall  
  
"Dreams of the forsaken. Dreams of the forgiven."  
  
Vineland. Yahara's apartment  
  
3:36 am  
  
  
  
It starts with a single darkness and my nightmare begins again. "I'm there alone in the dark. Chained to the wall. I feel nothing from my waist down because my legs are numb. I can't even feel the bugs and the rats that crawl over me. I don't know who my captors are or why they chose to take me hostage. I cry and cry some more as I begin to reach the point of giving up. Then I hear it… I hear … him!"  
  
"It sounds as if my captors plead for their lives. They don't deserve any mercy in my opinion after all I am here. From the sounds of everything going on they sound like a bunch of cowards. Not one ounce of bravery or intelligence on their part, unless they have good reason to be afraid. A sense of hope, as well as fear since I didn't know what to expect, came over me."  
  
"Finally, I see what looks like a fist go through the wall next to the door across from me. And then like a knight in shining armor he struts into my life. He says nothing as he unchains me. I think 'WOW, he's strong.' He then quite literally sweeps me off my feet and carries me. My legs are still numb at this point but I'm not thinking about that. "Are you okay?" he asks in a strong, firm and confident voice. And soon thereafter the first words out of my mouth are 'Take me…'"  
  
Then Yari wakes in the night, perspired. "I can't believe I'm having these damn dreams. – Sigh -. What is wrong with me?" She questions herself. She turns to the side of her bed and sits up holding her head. "Please don't fall for him! Please don't fall for him! Aaaaahhhh!" She yells in bitter frustration. She then walks into her bathroom to grab a glass of water, wearing a pair of light blue panties made by Hanes with a loosely fit tank top. She pushes back her hair out of her eyes. She looks at herself in the mirror not knowing what she sees in herself. "I can't sleep. I can't believe that I can't sleep." Yahara then smiles in the mirror and walks back to her bedroom where she goes to her window and opens it. A gust of fresh summer breeze fills the room and Yari goes out her window and begins to hover. She begins to soar up into the clear, star- filled sky. And so she begins a long pensive journey into her emotions and thoughts as she flies high above the ground ever so graceful and appearing like a wingless angel. She closes her eyes as she flies through the night sky trying to make sense of the dreams and the growth of feelings for the super being known as Nation.  
  
"He's cute, strong, funny, rebellious, and…he sleeps with so many women. But he also saved my life. I'm so frustrated and confused." She ponders. "I should get him off my mind. Besides he probably doesn't think of me in a 'Can you be my girlfriend?' kind of way."  
  
And so she continues to fly through the night sky, accepting who she is and what she can do. She is codename Windsong of the Wall and she is a superhero. Ms. Costa finally relaxes and feels the freedom and the beauty that birds and other winged creatures have had a grasp on for ages.  
  
At the moment trying not to worry about anything but her enjoyment.  
  
Alfredo's Domain, The upstairs of his night club 'The Fettuchini.'  
  
3:45 am  
  
"Aaallfieee… please can I touch it it's so big." A beautiful young woman proclaims. "No. It's too precious." Alfredo answers the seductress. "Please." The young woman begs and pouts at Alfredo. "Oh. All right. Here it is." Alfie complies. " Alfie, it's so round and heavy." She says. "Yeah. That's my prize bowling ball." Alfredo points out.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Catala. I have ill thoughts running through my head." Whispers the young woman named Colleen Robbins. Alfredo codenamed 'Screech' pretends there is a camera to his side , raises an eyebrow and exclaims "It must be the fettuchini."  
  
"Alfredo, I want you. I want you to take me like none of the former football teams from high school have ever taken me." Ms. Robbins advances to remove her articles of clothing piece by piece as Alfredo watches with much amusement. Colleen is finally down to her birthday suit and boy what a suit it is. She then pushes Alfie on to the sofa and begins to kiss him wildly and passionately. "What are you doing?" Alfredo asks as if he didn't know. "I will give you pleasure and you will give me the fettuchini, Alfedo." She replies with such an enchanting tone. Alfredo overjoyed thinks aloud "They can't have it just once!"  
  
Alfredo closes his eyes and all of a sudden everything goes black. Colleen is gone and Alfredo finds himself in a dark room with a pair of red eyes. "Geez, Louise. Where is Ben Stein with clear eyes when you need him." And a wicked laugh fills the dark room. Alfie confused some can do just one thing and that is get annoying. "Who the hell are you? The Devil? J. Artisi, Ninja master? Or are you some kind of a fruitcake? Which to me they are all the same."  
  
"I am your worst nightmare and I'm here to take that which is most precious to you." The evil voice with no face but just the eyes proclaims. "You mean my fettuchini?" Alfredo inquires. The evil voice responds. "No. Not your fettuchini but your fettuchini. Hahahahahahahaha." The evil voice laughs madly and psychotic. Alfie then feels his fettuchini is no more and then all that is left are screams…  
  
Suddenly Alfredo awakes to his relief that he has two beautiful, young women sleeping on both sides of him. They are Natalie and Stephanie, two sisters who share everything, including their enjoyment of the company of one man. He sees them and awakes them and asks… "Do I still have my fettuchini?" The sisters gladly to comply with his request begin anew games of eroticism and Alfredo braces himself for the situation knowing there is no turning back. He then realizes… "The fettuchini …is…still…here!"  
  
Moans are heard as the morning sun rises. Overlapping the crows of the rooster in the distance. Cock a doodle doo!  
  
Streets of Vine Land city.  
  
3:55 am  
  
The night grows old. Everything seems calm. The gruff exterior of the streets hides that which lies in the darkness.  
  
A dark figure sits on top of the Sacred Heart chapel in downtown. "Boss! Boss! We have a situation!" A small impish being exclaims. "Where?" The large, brooding man questions the imp. "A few blocks away, it's a woman she's in trouble." The imp formerly known as Prince says. And without another word he speeds on jumping from building to building to reach his destination.  
  
A few blocks away a young woman is being attacked by a group of thugs. She screams as she gets pounded on and slapped around. The thugs speak of how she did their homeboy wrong by putting him in jail and having a restraining order against him. The thugs didn't like that so they decided to teach her a lesson she won't ever forget in her life.  
  
The thugs continue until a voice thunders over them. "So you big boys like hitting women. Well let The Cross smack you boys around like a pimp would his whores!" Then The Cross quickly begins dismantling the abusers. He moves so quickly that eventually there is just one left. "Fuck you, man! You ain't shit!" The last thug exclaims as he pulls out, dare it be said and the, oh so clichéd, a knife. He lunges at The Cross and stabs him, leaving the knife in the chest of The Cross. The thug tries to escape but he is suddenly being held by what seems to be a swarm of imps. He slowly removes the knife from his chest. "The Cross takes it you're done, right? Well let The Cross hand you a taste of your own medicine." The imps carry the final thug towards The Cross. The Cross then grabs the offender and raises him in the air. He begins to slap him like there is no tomorrow. As this occurs the young lady begins to come around. Sirens are heard in the far off distance, approaching. The big man then drops the perpetrator.  
  
The young woman sees The Cross as he bends down to clean the blood from her mouth using one of the perpetrators' bandanna. She smiles up at the big man and thanks him. "Thank you very much." She says in a jittery voice. Then she continues on to saying. "I never thought I would ever meet a celebrity like you." And The Cross goes on to say. "Ma'am, The Cross is no celebrity. The Cross did what The Cross had to do." The battered woman then exclaims. "Wow! It is true what they say you are a sweet talker." At this point the police sirens and lights draw closer to the scene.  
  
"The Cross don't know who you think The Cross is…" Suddenly he is interrupted mid sentence. "Thank you. I will be more careful walking alone at night. Thank you very much…Nation." The woman replies and The Cross is shocked.  
  
"The Cross doesn't mean to be a mean SOB but The Cross thinks you took one too many hits to the head." The woman responds with. "Don't worry, Mr. Nation, sir. I won't let them bully me around any more. I'll make sure full charges are pressed." "Whatever lady." As The Cross looks really confused at the situation.  
  
The police finally arrive and it just so happens to be The Cross' two favorite police officers. Officer Johnson and Officer Hunter are on the scene. Showing concern for the young woman, The Cross approaches the officers. "She needs medical treatment ASAP. The Cross thinks she has a concussion."  
  
Officer Johnson with a smile on his face replies. "Sure thing, Nation. Also my wife wanted to thank you for blessing our newborn child." Upset at being called Nation, The Cross responds very angrily to the officers. " The Cross does not find any of this very humorous or amusing officers!" Thanks, Nation. We'll keep up the good work." Officer Hunter proclaims.  
  
All of a sudden crowds begin to form around the hero. People ask for the Nation's autograph and so they start to engulf The Cross and all he can do is scream in anger until…  
  
"Whoa. That was a horrible dream. The Cross really, really hates Nation." As the big man whispers on top of the rooftops where he has been all this time. As if nothing is happening a figure clouded by smoke laughs at the shear thought of dismantling these heroes one by one. Knowing he will take care of business.  
  
Frank K. Santiago, codenamed the "Wave".  
  
Frank's apartment, 4:10 am  
  
"Frankie…" A high-pitched, raspy voice speaks. "Mom? What are you doing here?" Questions the hero. The voice in all its raspy glory responds to the inquiry. "Frankie… Know this to be true I am your father. Now come give your mother/father a kiss hello." As Frank, known as the "Wave", for his unpredictable mental abilities that cover everything from pyre-kinetics to telekinesis to empathy and paranormal-kinetics and healing abilities, screams in horror to the dream of that which is his mother/father.  
  
He awakens to the echoes of his own screams. "Yeeagh!" Shivering to the thought and horror of his dream. "Well, that explains a lot about me and why I am the way I am. Whew." No longer wanting to sleep he reaches for his phone.  
  
Interlude  
  
A beautiful young woman sleeps. She tosses and turns. It would seem she is having a nightmare. She wakes and tries to make sense of her dream. She gets up from her bed and heads down to her basement. The area is set up with a heavy bag and various training equipment. On the wall are pictures of herself with her martial arts instructors, with her father and with her sister. Upon further inspection of the pictures it is noticed that her sister is none other than former member of The Wall and recently deceased Jaime Cappelli also known as Voluminous. Who recently died while defending the earth from an invasion from Simian Primates from another galaxy far away from this earth.  
  
Her name is Stacey Bond. And she is a woman with capability of shape-shifting into many animal forms. She puts on her gloves and begins to work on the heavy bag. She is trying to plan her future. The nightmares she has been having involve her sister. Her and her sister were not close, in fact they argued all the time. Stacey feels bad that she could not make amends with Jaime. And so the thought of her death haunts her. She has just one thing in mind and that is The Wall.  
  
Should they be the ones to blame or should she join them? Only she can make that decision and finally put her sisters spirit to rest before she goes crazy or much, much worse.  
  
Nation  
  
High above the early morning sky in Vine Land City  
  
4:30 am  
  
  
  
Flying. Flying away. Flying away from that which he is. Nation, given that name for being the nation's "champ", has had many responsibilities befallen upon him. And though he knows he cannot accomplish all he does is his best. He knows he cannot be everywhere at once. He has disappointed many people but it has all been for the best. And as of late he has been having a change of feelings due to the entrance of a certain female dropping into his life. Making him have monogamous thoughts.  
  
But apparently none of this matters at this point in time, as our hero sings through the night sky. "I got fifty Bentleys in the West Indies. It doesn't matter! I got a pocketful of cheese and a garden full of trees. It doesn't matter! I just won a board of bingo and bought myself a trip to Reno. It doesn't matter!" As the world-friendly Nation flies and sings to Wyclef Jean's "It Doesn't Matter!" featuring the most electrifying man in sports entertainment today.  
  
The Nation then goes into his own little rap before he reaches a final thought. "Man this fucking sucks. I am so bored. There isn't anything else to do around this damn world. Maybe I should go chill with my main man DMX. Hell, there is always action there!"  
  
Suddenly as Nation continues to fly through the sky he comes to the realization he is being followed. And in a 'flash', Nation tackles the figure behind him. The shadowed, flying figure was about a hundred feet away and in a 16th of a second he reaches the point of contact.  
  
"Please, don't hurt me." The individual responds in her sweet, innocent voice. Nation, amazed, confused, shocked, and everything else in the book, can only gaze to find that the person he almost crushed is none other than member of the Wall, Yahara Alcivar aka Windsong. "Um…uh…hi!" She speaks. Nation just finds himself looking at the beautiful girl in his arms. " You can let go of me now you know." Yari replies and with that Nation lets go of Ms. Costa.  
  
"What were you doing sneaking up on me like that! I could've easily killed you!" Nation snaps. "I wasn't sneaking. I saw you from a distance and thought I can catch up to you. I've been having nightmares and so I decided to fly for a while. I didn't expect to see you. I thought maybe we could chit-chat." Yari says with great glittery eyes.  
  
"Chit-chat?" Nation then goes into a Sylvester Stallone impersonation. "I haven't heard that in a long time. Chit-chat, that's great! Ha-ha-ha." Nation then stops his laughing and his impersonation at the sight of him making a fool of himself in front of Ms. Alcivar.  
  
"So…" Yari begins as they both hover high above the earth. "…Nation, do you have a bed? I …uh…I meant do you sleep?" 'I can't believe I just blurred that out. Maybe he didn't catch on to it.' She thinks to herself rather rapidly as she blushes and turns away from Nation.  
  
"Yes and no. I do have a bed but I really don't do much sleeping in it." Nation replies with a grin making Yari feel uncomfortable at the fact that he did catch on to what she had said. "Did you want to go somewhere, Yari? It is kind of cold out here especially up here. We can go to a nice rooftop or something of your liking."  
  
"How about something of my liking?" Windsong proclaims. Nation thinks for a moment and says "Well, I'm not psychic, but I have an idea. Of course I'd have to drive." He takes her in his arms and has her come behind him. "Grab around my neck tightly." He musters as he takes off at super speed. "By the way you don't need to call me Nation." He tells Yari as the words fade behind them from the velocity he is traveling. Yari yells back at him. "What should I call you then?" Nation slows down and says to her… "Bruce… You can call me Bruce."  
  
"Sure thing, Bruce. You can call me Yari, all my friends do. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance." As she smiles and can only help but wonder what their final destination is.  
  
5 minutes later…  
  
"I can't believe we're in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower, eating lightly buttered croissants and drinking coffee. I guess this is your idea of something." Nation just glances at the beauty, as she possesses one of the most wonderful smiles any pair of eyes has feasted upon. Her beauty reflecting on the world as the sun sets in France and the night comes out full of marvelous sights including the one sitting next to Nation. 


End file.
